This cornbread salad starts with cubes of Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread dried in the oven then tossed with Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, and spinach in a quick vinaigrette. It is a surprisingly delicious and unique meal that the whole family will love, even the biggest skeptics.
I almost didn't create this recipe. I had some leftover Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread hanging around and was thinking about how I might use it.
I had the idea to use it to create a version of Panzanella, an Italian bread salad that's typically made with French or Italian bread and tomatoes tossed in a simple vinaigrette.
But, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it probably wouldn't work. The only reason I gave it a go is because I had already purchased the other ingredients. And let me tell you. I am SO glad I did. Panzanella is delicious in its own right, but this cornbread version really kicks it up a notch.
The foundation of this salad is the Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread , giving it a cheesy, slightly spicy base. Since so much of cornbread salad is made up of, well, cornbread, it makes sense to use a super tasty version.
Plenty of other vegetables would be delicious tossed into this salad. So, if you have a few stray veggies in your refrigerator that you're not sure what to do with, toss them in, sautéing them first if you like.
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How to serve this cornbread salad
If you have any leftover, store the cornbread and sausage-vegetable mixture in separate containers. The cornbread can be stored at room temperature. The sausage and vegetable mixture should be stored in the refrigerator.
Bring the sausage-vegetable mixture to room temperature by zapping it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so at half power. Stir, test the temperature, and cook a few seconds longer if necessary.
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📖 Recipe
Cornbread Salad with Italian Sausage & Tomatoes
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread tossed with Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, and spinach in a quick vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups of large cornbread cubes - about ½ a pan of Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
- 1 tablespoon + ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, sweet or hot
- 5 heaping cups fresh spinach
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts sliced thin (discard dark green parts)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the cornbread into ½ to 1-inch chunks and spread out on the baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cubes are a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- While the cornbread is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble the Italian sausage into the pan and cook, stirring from time to time, until cooked through and none of the chunks of sausage are pink in the center.
- Add the spinach to the skillet along with the sausage. Let stand for a minute allow the bottom layer of spinach to wilt. Then gently toss with the sausage and cook for another minute or two until all of it is wilted. (If all 5 cups won't fit at once, add half, allow it to wilt in the pan, then add the other half.) Dump the mixture onto a plate or a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and add to a large bowl along with the sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro.
- In a small bowl, add the ⅓ cup olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously to combine and then pour over the tomato mixture. Toss to coat the tomato mixture with the dressing.
- Add the cooked sausage to the tomato mixture and toss to combine.
- To serve, add 1 cup of cornbread cubes to a plate and top with sausage tomato mixture.
Notes
- This salad is best served at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 807Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1588mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 30g
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